Raph and April: The Beginning
by eno1988
Summary: April and Raphael have been hanging out more and more. There are a ton of unspoken feelings piling up between the two of them. What happens as it unfolds? Read on to find out.
1. Chapter 1

I've always been a fan of TMNT. It's one of my favorites. This is a the beginning of a series of short stories I started writing, about what could happen is April and Raphael started down a path other than friendship. I don't own any of the characters from TMNT.

Chapter 1

Fear use to be a constant annoyance in the back of April's mind. Fear of the tiniest things, even ridiculous things. Fear is just how she operated. It motivated her and paralyzed her at the same time. She kept her circle of friends small because trust wasn't easy to come by these days. She had her apartment, her job, and for the last year she had them. Her very unique group of new friends, the turtles. Leo, Mikey, Donny, and Raph had been the most amazing and unbelievable addition to her life. Then there were the constant inconstant of Casey Jones. But Casey was Casey. He was important, but he hadn't had quite the same impact as the other four.

April had spent her nights hanging underground with the guys or they had been above hanging in her apartment. Through the last year she had created bonds with each of them, all of them affected each other in a different way. Donny was the one she could have serious, intellectual, and technological conversations with. Leo was the leader and probably the strongest mentally, he and April could confide in each other about their dreams and fears. Mikey was the jokester and she was guaranteed to laugh her ass off whenever they hung out together. And then there was Raph. Raphael. He seemed to have the most unusual and confusing affect on April. She had always felt especially drawn to him. He was complicated and angry. They could talk all night and she could tear down every one of his walls, just for them to be built back up a few hours later.

They spent a great deal of time together and she never wanted it to end. Sometimes she would sit and think about how odd it was and then again it oddness of it had very little impact compared to how good he made her feel when they talked. Raph was on her mind a lot more than usual lately and it was a thought that she couldn't shake. Their late night hang outs had become more and more frequent. In fact she was lazily cleaning up her laundry and wiping down her bathroom waiting for him to arrive.

Raph was trying to slow his walk to April's. His heart was pounding and his face was warm. It was he and April's third night to hang out this week and he wasn't the least bit tired of seeing her, he couldn't get to her fast enough. His perfect April. He didn't understand his new found feelings, he just knew he had them and they scared the shit out of him when he wasn't around her. But when he was with her, Raph felt perfectly content.

At the same time, in the back of his mind sat his fear of all of it. The fear of not being able to tell April how he felt, the fear of her rejection if he ever did tell her, and the destruction of their friendship completely due to the fact that he was a monster and she was an angel. How could she even consider the thought of promising herself to him, physically, mentally, or emotionally? It would be sickening for her and heaven for him. He could never ask that of her. Raph tried to push all the negative thoughts to the side and focus on his evening of quietly hanging out with his favorite person.

He kept his pace steady as he climbed down the fire escape to her apartment window. He knelt down on the grated platform and looked through the window. April came through the hall into the living room/kitchen area. Raph could tell she hadn't been home too long because she had changed into sweats and a tank top, but her hair was still beautifully styled in her loose curls and her makeup was still intact. He loved the way her hair grazed her cheeks softly, the way he wanted to touch her with his hands. She must have been on TV today due to her face being made up more than usual. She tossed the laundry off to the side of the front door and was making her way back to the kitchen when Raph decided to knock on the window.

April turned and smiled at him and walked over to lift the window for him. Raph tried not to stare at her beautiful bare collar bone and… Well, below her collar bone.

"Hey, I was wondering if you were on our way." She greeted as he hopped inside the apartment.

"You still wanted to hang tonight, didn't you?" He asked wondering if he should have called and double checked beforehand.

"Absolutely." She replied shutting the window behind Raph, "I always want to hang out with you."

He tried not to blush as the warm tingly feeling washed over him. _I always want to hang out with you_. All he wanted to do was confess his true undying love because you know, hanging out equals love and all. _Get it together, Raphael_ he thought to himself.

"So, were you on TV today?" He began trying to change the subject.

She turned and grinned and struck her best covergirl pose, "It is that obvious with my twenty pounds of makeup and gloriously curled hair?" She said sarcastically. He chuckled at her a he accepted the beer she passed to him, "Yes, my dear, I was in the middle of time square flapping my arms like a bird on a trampoline and it was called exercise."

"Sounds intense." Raph commented in the same sarcastic tone.

April set the lid of her beer on the edge of the counter and smashed it with her hand and the lid flew off into Raph's palm. Their routine had become pretty regular, "Oh I'm almost certain the dojo would not compare to what I did today." They clanged their bottles together.

"I'm perfectly sure you could kick my ass from here to China Town, O'Neil." He joked before taking a long sip of his beer and tossing April's bottle cap in the trash, "Swoosh."

"What did you do today?" She sipping her beer.

He rolled his eyes at April, "Uh, what do I do everyday?"

She grinned at his foul tone, "Just making sure something life altering didn't take place while I was at work. For all I know, you could have met the love of your life and left the country today."

_No because it's you_ he thought, "Nope, not today. I think I'll be in the country for a while."

April plucked the pizza menu from the drawer and slid it to Raph, "Good, I'd miss you. You hungry?"

"That's rhetorical, right?" He replied gazing at his pizza options.

She slid the phone to him next, "Yep. Anything but anchovies."

"I know, I know." Raph moaned as he dialed the number.

They sat on the couch eating they're large cheesy pizza as usual, talking about anything that came to mind. He watched her talk so animatedly about things and her facial expressions were hysterical. She got so into her stories, that even the lamest story was funnier when she told it because her telling was so over the top. It made him wonder if he was ever even willing to risk ruining their friendship over a crush. Would it still be this easy to be together? Then a pepperoni landed on his plastron and he snapped to attention.

"What was that for?" He asked as he plucked the pepperoni off his muscular chest and ate it.

"You zoned out on me." April answered taking a bite of pizza.

He tried to grin slyly, "Sorry, you're just so boring." He joked and another pepperoni landed on his chest. He ate it up just like before, "If I keep insulting and ignoring you, will I get all the pepperoni?"

"Oh shut it!" April lightly kicked his thigh.

"You know what; I think it's time for your news report to run again." He said tauntingly and grabbed the remote.

"Oh, no you don't!" She exclaimed and jumped at him on the other end of the couch, but Raph already had the TV on switched to Channel 3.

"Ohh, too slow, O'Neil." He taunted some more as they heard her name announced on TV and the tape of April jumping on the trampoline came on.

April groaned and covered her face in embarrassment as she fell down onto the sofa, "Turn it off!"

"This is very educational. You look very bird like, Ape." He pushed and she jerked the remote from him and switched the channel.

"It's horrible, Raph." She said a little more seriously and he contained his joking for the moment.

"You're just starting out on TV, April. You're not going to get the good stuff right away. Starting at the bottom is nothing to be ashamed of."

She nodded, "I know, but this is just… Ugh. It's just bad."

"You'll get there. You're too annoying persistent." He said sincerely.

She smiled sweetly at his half compliment. She knew how he meant it. He knew she was too much of a go getter and wouldn't give up until she got the stories she wanted, "Thanks, Raph." She sat back up and hugged his neck.

He tried to stay calm and discretely smell her hair as he hugged her back. He didn't want to let her go when she pulled away. She made his heart do cartwheels and he wouldn't have it any other way. The feelings she created were the most fulfilling he's had in a long time. A couple of years ago, succeeding at karate made him feel satisfied and happy with himself, but as he got older and his hormones started kicking in, karate just didn't do it anymore.

April smiled at him for a moment and he smiled back. They sat there for a little longer than they probably should. But neither of them wanted to break the trance. April blinked first but she hugged him again quickly and then got up to clean up the pizza box.

Raph took a deep breath and tried to calm his heart beats. He loved her so much it ached now. The sweet glances were like nothing he had ever experienced before. Like the ones he saw in the romance movies that Mikey said he didn't know were romance movies, but he really did know, he just didn't want to admit it to his brothers. Raph would see those faces and wish someone could look at him like that.

"You need help, Ape?" He said finally standing up after he calmed a little.

"No, I'm just tossing it in the sink. I'm not cleaning now. Movie?"

But there conversation was interrupted but a tap at the window. Raph figured it was his brothers. They randomly showed up when they didn't have anything else to do. He opened the window and he was right. Leo, Mikey, and Donny fell in one by one. He was about to shut the window when a hand slipped under it.

"Whoa, man, I'm out here, too." Casey Jones' voice said through the glass.

"Sorry, Case, I didn't see you there." Raph replied and opened the window again.

"Hey, guys." April greeted everyone.

"What's up, babe?" Casey said winking as he walked to kitchen.

April rolled her eyes and only Raph noticed and he grinned to himself, "Hey, Casey. You guys thirsty? We already ate, but we can order another pizza if you want."

"Nah, we grabbed food before we came over." Casey replied popping open a beer.

Raph was trying not to let his disappointment show as everyone settled in obviously with the intention of staying for a while. It had become a group evening and Casey's constant flirtations. He knew April didn't really buy into them, but it irritated Raph nonetheless. Why couldn't he be more forward with her like that? But he knew why. That wasn't his personality. He was closed off and quiet. April was the only person he ever really opened up to besides his brothers.

The night had gone on and it was fun and April loved her guys and yet she couldn't help but be disappointed on some level that she and Raph's quiet night had been interrupted. They all squeezed on the sofa and watched Mikey do his best Rocky Balboa impression.

Mikey was jumping around in a boxing stance, "Ah, you know, maybe I'll fight Apollo, maybe I won't. Yo, Adriaaaannnn!"

They all laughed as Mikey jumped around as if he won a victory. Donny continued the entertainment with his Cagney impression and Raph rolled his eyes because he had seen Donny do this a thousand and one times. He glanced at April who was sitting one seat over. Casey had annoyingly wedged himself between he and April. She had her hand covering her mouth as she laughed at the guys. It made him smile. She felt his eyes on her and she glanced back at him and winked cutely at him. He tried not to blush.

The night was coming to an end and everyone was saying their good nights.

"Are you guys sure you don't want to crash here?" She asked again as they opened the window.

"Nah, we're good, April." Donny answered and gave her a one armed hug, "It's only a fifteen minute walk."

Casey plopped back on the couch as if he was going to get comfortable for the rest of the night. They all looked at him.

"What?" He shrugged his shoulders, "I don't feel like walking home." Then his jacket landed on his face and Raph chuckled.

"Get up, lazy ass." He said and Casey moaned as he heaved up off the sofa and then he turned back to April, "G'night. It was fun, as usual."

She smiled softly, "I had fun, too. Call me when you guys make it home."

Raph nodded and turned to go out the window. The others followed in suit as they said their byes.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The guys were walking above ground tonight since it was so late when they headed back. Raph was in a whole other world as his brother joked and talked about the night. They were getting closer to the entrance to their home and Casey had floated off on his own a few minutes ago. Raph wasn't positive he wouldn't try to sneak back to April's. They were about to slip underground when they heard something coming closer to them. They all froze like statues and waited for each other to focus on the others. They slowly turned around and saw a group of seven or eight guys. Looked like a lot of punks in the darkness, they probably couldn't tell what the turtles actually were. They heard different weapon clicking open and chains falling on the ground. The turtles all prepared themselves.

The leader of the group stepped forward a little, "You guys a little lost?"

"No, we know exactly where we are." Mikey spoke up in his deeper, 'ready to fight' voice.

"This is where we live. I think it's you all that are lost." Donny said backing up Mikey as usual.

The guy gave a sarcastic laugh, "Really, I don't recall seeing you guys around here before."

"I agree because if you could actually see us right now, you would be shitting your pants." Raph shot back.

"Got any cash?" He asked as the rest of the gang drew closer.

Leo stepped forward, too, "Boys, do yourself a favor and get out of here before we have to have to hurt you for acting like a buncha dumbasses."

The leader snickered again, "I don't think so." He snapped his fingers and it was on. His guys ran at the turtles.

Each of them was met with more force than they expected. Some of them were being tossed to the side. A couple of them got a few hits in but they were ultimately thrown around like a bunch of rag dolls. The quick sounds of wind made by the turtle's weapons filled the quiet night air. The smoothness of their strikes caught the dumb group of punks off guard as they were beaten up. The leader, however struggled to his feet and snuck up behind Raph while he was preoccupied with one of his buddies and made a slice down his arm with a switch blade.

Raph dropped the guy on the ground and grasped his arm as it began to gush red. Donny made a quick snap with his bow and knocked the guy in the head and he fell to the ground unconscious. The others were smart enough to scatter like they should have in the first place. Raph's arm was making him feel light headed. It was a really deep cut and it was a good six to seven inches long.

"Oh, shit, Raph." Leo whispered as he looked at it.

"We need to go back to April's. Sensei will panic if he sees this." Mikey suggested.

Donny nodded his head, "I think that's best."

"No," Raph interjected, "_April_ will have a panic attack if she sees this." He was becoming more light headed.

"April is a big girl, Raph. Besides she can help me better that Sensei." Donny argued as Raph's knees began to give out on him.

Leo caught Raph's heavy frame as he fell back, "Just like the trust game when we were younger."

Raph completely passed out before he could make a sarcastic remark.

"Shit." Mikey said and he picked up Raph's legs and they began walking back to April's.

April hadn't gone to sleep yet. She was in the kitchen cleaning a little when there was an urgent knock on the window.

She walked over to her living room and looked through the darkness and saw the guys, "What the-" She ran to her window and opened it, "What's wrong?!"

Leo and Mikey jumped and pulled a passed out Raph through the window and Donny followed in with his feet. April began to panic as she saw blood dripping on the cream color rug.

"Oh, my God! Is he de-" She shrieked.

"No, he's just passed out." Leo interrupted before she could say the words.

They laid him on the sofa and Mikey ran and brought back a raggedy towel and wrapped it around his arm.

"What happened?!" She asked with a shaky voice and she kneeled down beside him and stroked his forehead.

"A gang of dumbasses thought they would jump us right before we went underground and we had it taken care of until Raph was dealing with one guy and the little leader snuck up behind him and sliced his arm pretty good." Leo explained as they continued to set him up on the sofa so Donny could do what he needed to do.

"April, do you still have the first aid kit I asked you to keep stashed here for me?" Donny asked as he opened the towel and examined the large cut.

"Yes, I'll get it." She responded and ran quickly to the bathroom and was back in a flash. She set it on the coffee table and began setting everything out for Donny.

"Okay, thanks, Ape. Leo, will you get some cool wash clothes for his head. We need to keep him from getting overheating."

Leo returned with the rags, "Here you go." He passed them to April and she folded one up and laid it on his head.

"April, I need you to stay here and keep him calm. If he wakes up disoriented, he might freak out and have a PTSD episode from the attack. I'm going to give him a shot to help with the pain while I stitch him up." Donny passed out tasks like a pro.

April nodded in understanding. She kept her hand on his head and tried not to look as Donny continued to clean and examine the cut. It looked disgusting and she had a weak stomach when it came to those things. Donny carefully injected Raph with the morphine and he flinched a little in his passed out state.

"It's okay, Raph."April whispered.

Donny set the shot on the table and grabbed his needle and thread, "April, every few minutes talk to him and try to calm him in his sleep so he knows he's safe. Leo, stay on washcloth duty and Mikey, don't break anything."

Donny began stitching slowly and carefully. Raph didn't flinch very much as the morphine really set in. April kept talking to him about things that he liked or their nights hanging together or when she met them all for the first time. Her hand never left his forehead. Donny stayed focused. He was in his zone. He may not have been the toughest but he could take care of his brothers like a pro. Their nerves began to calm as the adrenaline faded. Donny wrapped Raph's arm after he tied off the stitches. Leo and April were cleaning and sterilizing the first aid kit in the kitchen.

"Do you think this was a Foot attack?" April asked quietly.

Leo shook his head, "No, they were nothing more than some hoods. They were sloppy and dumb. The Foot clan would never use such inferior fighters."

Mikey walked up behind them and laid his chin on April's shoulder, "Do you guys need my help with anything?"

She smiled sweetly at him. Mikey was always more childlike than the others. She just felt like mothering him, "How about you go get the blankets out of the spare room for you guys to get your beds ready." Leo was about to interject, "There's no way you guys are going back out tonight. Raph needs to stay asleep and I don't want you getting in anymore trouble."

Mikey didn't need to be told again. He ran back to the bedroom to get everything ready for bed, "I call one of the twin beds."

"You guys can move Raph to my bed so one of you can have the couch and then take the twin beds in the back." April said as she finished with the first aid kit.

"What about you, April? Where are you sleeping?" Donny asked.

"I'm going to stay up and keep an eye on Raph." She replied.

"No, you can sleep. I'll stay up with him." Donny argued, "I'm used to staying up most nights."

"Donny, get some sleep. Just put him in the bed and scoot my big chair next to the bed and I'll stay up." She stood up on her toes and kissed his cheek.

Raph was running. He could hear her screaming. She was screaming for him to get her. Save her. It was so dark and he was trying to follow the sound of her voice. _Keep talking, April_. He pushed through the darkness, searching for her. _Raphael_! He was becoming crazed trying to find her. She seemed so close and he just couldn't get to her. He could hear her. Suddenly he stumbled over something. Raph knelt down and he saw April lying on the ground. He pulled her into his arms. Her body was lifeless. The light in her eyes was gone. _Raphael_. It was her voice saying his name, but he was staring at her dead body in his arms. The tears came to his eyes. It was stinging. The sharp pain was setting in. Why was April dead? What was the stinging?

Raph's eyes jerked open. The sun was shining on his eyes. The stinging was getting worse. He was confused and his cheeks were damp. He rolled over and he felt something under his side. He blinked a few times to clear his head. He moved the sheet and saw April's feet propped up on the bed. His eyes followed her legs to where she was asleep in her big chair facing the bed. She looked so adorable passed out and her mouth hanging partially open. He lightly grazed his fingers up her calf when the sting set in again. He jerked his arm back to his chest and groaned lowly.

April was running her hands along the walls in the darkness. She couldn't see even a few inches in front of her face. She was breathing heavy, _Raphael_! She yelled out for him to find her. She kept moving forward hoping to see him. She moved faster along the wall. _Keep talking, April_. She heard Raph's voice. _Raphael_! She yelled out again as she moved even more quickly. She began to see a faint light in the distance. She made her way towards it as fast as she could. She finally got close enough to see Raph kneeling on the ground, holding her body. Her dead body. April stared in shock. She wasn't dead. She was standing mere feet away from him. _Raphael_. She said again and he looked up when he heard the voice, but she couldn't make him see her. Then, April heard him groaning in pain and her eyes jerked open. The sunlight was shining in her room. Se squinted her eyes and saw Raph holding his arm.

"Raph, you're awake." She said still groggy.

"Yeah, I wish I wasn't." He said gritting his teeth.

She scooted onto the bed and examined his face and his eyes, "I know it hurts like hell. Donny had to stitch you up. You have a really nasty cut on your arm." She picked up the syringe Donny left her for when he awoke, "Here. This'll help with the pain." He extended his arm in her lap and injected him near the cut. Raph sucked in a breath at the sting, "Sorry, Raph."

"It's okay. It'll ease in a second." He said as he stared at her lightly rubbing his arm to help with the pain.

"Does that hurt?" April asked.

He shook his head no, but even if it did he wouldn't say just so she would keep touching him like that. His eyes watched her fingers move back and forth on his green skin. The contrast of their skin made him shudder.

"I better take the bandage off and see how this is looking." She said and he nodded. Carefully, she unwrapped his arm and she was shocked to see how much better it looked. It wasn't really swollen. The wound seemed to close up a lot over the last few hours, "Oh, my God!"

"What is it?" He looked over at the cut.

"It's healed so much. I thought it would be enflamed and… well, gross, I guess." Her voice spoke honestly.

He chuckled, "It's the mutagen, April. It helps with healing capabilities."

"I guess that would make sense." She agreed.

Raph had a somber look on his face as April spoke and suddenly his muscular green arms were wrapped around her, hugging her tightly. Her eyes were wide with shock at first and then she wrapped her arms around his neck. It stung his arm to squeeze her, but it didn't matter.

"April, please, don't go anywhere."

"Where would I go exactly?" She questioned in confusion.

"I was just having a nightmare and you- you were dead in my arms and I don't know how or why." He stopped talking before he got embarrassingly upset.

April's eyes got big, as it sounded familiar to her dream, but she said nothing so she wouldn't sound crazy or upset him further. She patted the back of his head, "I'm right here, Raph. It's all just fine."

They heard a throat clear in the room. They both slowly turned their heads and saw Donny, Mikey, and Leo standing in the doorway. They all had stupid grins on their faces.

"Are we interrupting something?" Mikey said as he wiggled the ridges of his forehead.

"No." Raph responded in irritation.

Leo just nodded to their arms wrapped around each other. April and Raph looked back at their arms and jerked away from each other.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

April hadn't heard back from Raph in a couple of days. She quit calling and messaging for fear of looking idiotic and clingy over a friendship. She was trying to figure out what the problem was. Everything seemed fine when they all left that night following the gang attack. The turtles had spent the day at April's waiting for nightfall to leave. They all hung out as usual, having fun and ordered pizza. Sure, Raph was exceptionally quiet, but April figured it was due to what happened that last night. But there had been no contact between them since and they had been talking every day. She picked up her phone to make sure she didn't miss anything him, but there was nothing. She checked the time that she had sent the last message and did the math of how long it had been since she sent it. This was grueling. Maybe she should just go down to the lair and check on everybody. That's what she would normally do. But for some reason in her mind, she just knew Raph would think it was odd.

Raph was beating his punching bag to a pulp in the dojo. He didn't know how long he had been hitting it. It seemed like no amount of working out made him tired enough to stop thinking about April… and the nightmare he had about her. He had been avoiding her ever since they left her apartment. He was so broken when he woke up that morning and he was so vulnerable when he held April, he had to distance himself from her. The thought of losing her for good was worse than the thought of not seeing all the time. He had to get his feelings under control before he got either of them killed. But if he knew April and he felt like he knew her pretty well, her ass would be trotting down to the lair in no time to check on everybody. He just couldn't see her right now. His head and his heart were in the worst places when it came to her. He couldn't think clearly because she crowded everything. If he didn't tell her something though, he knew her feelings would be hurt. She's not stupid, she knows he's avoiding her. He didn't just suddenly become legitimately busy. Raph stopped hitting the bag momentarily and looked at his phone. He hadn't gotten anything else from her in the last few hours, and that harsh fact made him relieved and incredibly disappointed at the same time.

He wanted so badly to make his fingers text her back and tell her the truth, but they didn't. _Sorry. Donny has kept me knocked out for a little while until the pain went away. I'm ok_. Was all he wrote and hit send. It was so cold and stand offish. He knew it would hurt her feelings when she read it. Raph momentarily thought about chucking his phone across the dojo, but he didn't. He took a deep breath and lowered his arm and set his phone on the bench, then he turned back to his punching bag.

April's phone went off in her hand. She swiped the screen with excitement and read Raph's message. April stared at the screen and a tear came to her eye. She tried to compose herself, but she was on the verge of hysterics. She wanted to see him or at least have a conversation with him and he was blowing her off. _Ok. Feel better_. Was all she sent back. It stung just as much as his message to send it. She let the tears flow freely. Everything was fucked up somehow. Her mind went back to the dream that it seems they both had. It had to mean something. It was a connection of some sort or a vision. She hoped it wasn't a vision. She didn't know what it was, the only thing she knew in this moment was it felt like her heart was half the size it was a couple of days ago.

Everything had suddenly become so boring. April's days were incredibly routine now, kind of like it was before the guys came into her life. It had been a few more days since their last messaging incident that killed her on the inside, and she decided to go visit the other guys and just see if she could get a feel for the situation. She crept along the walls of the underground tunnels until she came to the door. She tapped on it a few times and it was jerked open. A heard wrapped in an orange bandana popped in her face.

"Hey, Ape! Where you been?" Mikey greeted her and pulled her inside with a hug.

"Oh, you know, just working. I just wanted to come say hi and let you know I hadn't dropped off the face of the planet." She said.

"I get it. You gotta work and stuff." Mikey said walking back to the kitchen and April followed. Donny and Leo were sitting at the table snacking and Raph was nowhere in sight.

April tried to hide the disappointment, "Hey guys!" She greeted cheerfully.

"Hey, April!" Leo jumped up and hugged her, "It's been a few days."

"I know, I know." She sat next to Donny who was enthralled in a project. She reached her arm around his shoulders and hugged him. He jumped as if he hadn't noticed the extra person.

"April, when did you get here?" He asked hugging her back.

"Just now. I wanted to stop by and say hi and chill for a second." She plucked a cheeto out of the back and ate it, "How's Raph's arm doing?"

"Oh, it's fine. He's pretty much been good since we got back from your place that night." Donny replied still keeping his eyes on his project.

His words stung in April's chest, "I figured he would need to sleep it off for a couple of days."

"Nah, he hit the dojo as soon as we got back." Leo answered nawing on a Pork Rhine.

She tried really hard not to break down in front of the guys. Raph had told her he had been knocked out from the pain, "Oh, well, that's good to hear."

Her mind was in another world now. He lied to her. Why would Raph lie to her about his arm? She sat there at the table trying to keep up good conversation when they all heard the door to the dojo slam.

"Oh, listen. The Brooding McBroodster is taking a break from hitting the bag for once." Mikey commented in a sarcastic tone that made April look at him in curiosity. Mikey noticed her look, "He's been in the dojo nonstop, Ape."

April nodded and Raph entered the kitchen and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw her sitting at the table. His heart landed somewhere in his intestines.

"Um, Raph, are you going to speak to April?" Leo said nudging his arm.

"Hey, April. I didn't know you were coming over." Raph said in a much colder tone than he meant and he could tell April didn't miss it.

She furrowed her brow at him. She was no longer upset at the moment, now she was mad. All the other guys slowly turned and looked at Raph like he had three heads. They didn't know what his problem was.

"Well, you're not the only one I talk to down here, Raph." She stood up and grabbed her bag off the table, "By the way, I'm glad your arm is all better. Donny was just telling me how well you healed after you left my apartment. Must be hard to hit a punching bag in your sleep." She put her bag on her shoulder, "Bye, guys. I'll talk to you later." She said to the other three.

Raphael leaned against the wall and banged his head one good time, "Shit!"

"Dude, what did you do to April?!" Mikey said angrily.

"Shut up, Mikey!" Raph growled and stomped out of the room.

April quickly unlocked her apartment and slammed the door behind her. The tears were falling heavily now. She threw her bag and keys down on the floor. She stood there in the entry way crying for a minute, then she slid down her door and her butt landed on the floor she buried her face in her palms and cried hard. She barely heard the knocks on her window through her sobs. She looked up from her hands, across her living room, and saw Raph in her window. She looked away embarrassed and tried to wipe her face and made her way to the window. Raph could see how hard she had been crying when she opened it.

He tried to speak but she walked away as soon as she had lifted it enough for him to come in. Raph sighed and slipped in through the window and April was in the kitchen trying to wipe her face off.

"April?" Raph said very quietly.

April's face jerked around to face him, "You lied to me, Raph! Donny told me you've been fine this whole time, which means you've been giving me the cold shoulder. I've been sitting around her concerned and ignored and you've pretty much okay."

Raph wanted to laugh. She thought he had been okay. He had been the complete opposite, "I'm sorry, April. I really am."

"You know what? I don't think I really want to hear it right now." April snapped at him, "I'm so mad at you. You're not even giving me an explanation. You're just going to say you're sorry. I don't know what your problem is, but you really don't need to come back over until you're ready to talk about it with me."

"I know you're mad, but I am sorry about it." He knew that wouldn't be enough but he still wanted her know he hated doing it. He hopped back out of the window and turned around to close it. April was standing there.

"I have a feeling your nightmare has something to do with this. I want you to know I had the exact same dream of me laying in your arms dead and I'm not ignoring you over it."

Raph hung his head, still not ready to say anything and she shut the window. He turned and left her window.


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for reading this far. I really appreciate the input!

Chapter 4

Raph's nerves were shot. The dream, the fight, and the entire situation was out of control and he hated every minute of it. It killed him that he made April cry like that or at all. She was devastated that he lied to her. He hated how shut off he was. Part of him felt like there was nothing else to lose by telling April about his feelings, but the other part couldn't make it a reality. He missed her, he missed hanging out at her apartment, he missed telling stories back and forth, and eating pizza at midnight. He missed the way she looks at him when they caught each other in those special moments.

April was throwing some food together in the kitchen trying to forget the shit fest that occurred earlier in the day. She had some angry music blaring in the background as she knocked around in the cabinets. She hoped around, whipping her head back and forth, when she noticed someone out of the corner of her eye. She squealed and jumped back, grabbing a whisk and wielding it like a weapon. Casey was looking at her, trying not to laugh.

"Calm down, killer." Casey smirked and turned the music down, "What's going on with you?"

"Nothing, Casey." She replied in a short tone, "How'd you get in?"

"I knocked at the window, but you didn't hear me, so I came on in." He answered. She didn't seem to even hear him talking as she just kept floating around the kitchen. Casey grabbed her arm and made her stand still, "Guess you leave it open for certain beings these days. What's wrong with you?"

April groaned in annoyance, "It's been a shitty day, Case. Things just not going well at the moment."

"Trouble in paradise." Casey popped off.

"What does that mean exactly?" She snapped.

"You and Raph not getting along at the moment." He confirmed.

She set her whisk down and looked at him, "How did you know?"

His chuckled and shook his head, "Well, you guys have been practically inseparable for weeks now and suddenly you guys have spent close to two weeks apart. You're in a shitty mood, Raph is in a shitty mood."

"You've been over today?"

"Yep." Casey answered licking whatever was in the bowl that April was murdering with the whisk.

"What was he doing?" She slapped his hand away from her food.

He sighed at her questions, "He was in the dojo. Where's he's been this whole damn time. He hasn't really left since after the attack. The boy is looking more swoll than usual."

"Did he say anything?" She pushed further.

"April, it's Raphael. He doesn't say anything. He just goes inside himself and fumes." He replied and she knew he was completely right, but she still wanted answers from somebody.

Raph watched as Casey and April talk in her kitchen. He had come over with the intention of talking to her, but he couldn't make himself go in with Casey there. He couldn't tell what was going on, he just knew he was infuriated seeing Casey in the kitchen with her instead of him.

"I don't know what to do, Casey." April admitted.

"Well, I think you guys need to come clean with each other about your feelings." He said thoughtfully.

"What?"

"Don't play dumb, April. It doesn't suit you. It's painfully obvious and we all, and by all, I mean me, Leo, Mikey, and Donny, think you guys need to get over whatever issue your having with this thing and go for it." He explained very matter of factly.

April thought for a moment because Casey was really the last person she wanted to talk to about his, but she needed someone's advice. Even Casey Jones' advice, "How would it work?"

"Like it does now or did before you started fighting."

"What about the incredibly obvious difference?" She added.

"What the whole human/mutant thing?" He clarified and she nodded, "Well, I guess that didn't stop you guys from developing feelings in the first place. Why is it a problem now?"

"Okay, relationships equal intimacy, Casey. How in the hell is that supposed to work?"

"Oh, Jesus. Listen, do you want it? Like the whole scenario?" April nodded, "Okay. I have a feeling that the intimacy isn't that different. It would probably be like being with a body builder in the bedroom. I know it's a lot to think about, but you love him. That part will work itself out."

She let that sink in for a minute and realized it wasn't worth the fear. She did love him and that's all she wrote. She smiled and hugged Casey. Raph squeezed his eyes shut at this sight. His heart hurt at them hugging, so he turned away to head back to the lair.

"Thanks, Casey. I feel better about it now." She said with some pep, "Who'd think you'd be the one to talk sense into anybody."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't tell anybody. Match maker isn't my thing. I think you better go see someone before you change your mind." He said.

April made her way back through the tunnels, it was pretty quiet the guys were watching TV. Except for Raph. He was of course in the dojo. She snuck behind them without being noticed. Raph was hitting the punching bag, but he heard the door open and he jerked around quickly to see who it was. He was surprised to see April.

"What are you doing here?" He asked coldly.

"I came to talk to you." She replied.

"Where's Casey?" His tone was harsh.

She furrowed her brow, "I guess he's going home or out. I don't know."

"You seemed awfully close tonight." He was becoming childish and he knew it, but he was closing off to keep from showing his hurt.

"Were you spying on me or something?" April was getting angry again and losing her focus.

He didn't answer her. He didn't see it as spying, but he guessed he had accidentally, "Just go home, April before we have another pointless argument that we'll just make things worse."

"All of this is your fault to begin with, Raph!" She snapped.

"Go home!" He growled at her.

April had become sick of playing this game with Raph. One week he was completely normal and nice to her and the next he was a complete asshole. She was pretty sure she understood why. She only hoped it was because he felt the same way about her as she did about him. She still couldn't shake the constant thoughts of the two of them together and it killed her on the inside when he was in a foul mood and taking it out on her. Raph continued to beat the shit out of the punching bag after getting smart with her. April stood there watching for a moment, trying to decide if she wanted to walk away and continue this later or if she wanted to have it out right here before she lost her nerve.

April stood up straight, hardened her expression, and marched over to Raph and pushed him as hard as she could. He didn't really stumble over any, but he was definitely caught by surprise. He stared down at April, with his mouth hanging open.

"You wanna be mean to me, you ass hat! How dare you talk to me like I don't matter!" Her voice was firm and it didn't quiver once and Raph stood there quietly waiting to hear her out because in his state of shock, he had apparently forgotten how to talk, "You are stubborn and selfish and argumentative and sarcastic and completely oblivious to the most obvious things! I try so hard to keep our friendship on a high note, but you have to go into PMS mode and fuck it all up, Raph! I do matter and I care a lot about you and how dare you taunt me with suggestions to the contrary. You know what?! I think you're scared of feeling and scared of someone caring, so you go and treat me like some dumb school girl who doesn't have a clue and think you're going to push me to the side until you're over your little 'issue' of the week."

"April-" Raph began.

"No, you shut up and listen!" April interrupted and he did just that, "I try so hard for you because I care. I don't hang out with you because of pity. Hell, I'm the one making the plans most of the time. When you text me, I always text you right back and apparently you die of shock because it will be another two hours before I hear back from you. I know when you come over and I could easily not be there if I didn't want to see you, but I'm always there, Raph. I'm always available to you and there's a reason for that. And I've tried t figure you out. I've tried to understand how you feel and what you're thinking. Sometimes I think I get you and the next day I feel completely thrown off. So, here it is. I'm laying it on the line. Take it or leave it, Raphael. I'm in love with you. I have been for a while now and I didn't know how to say it or if I should say it, so I'm taking a really big chance right now on our friendship and I get that, but I thought considering the mood you're in maybe it would help you to know that you're not crazy and you're not alone and you're not unlovable. I love you."

April was breathing really heavy now. She meant what she said but she was a little surprised that she said so much at once about the situation. Raph was still in shock. His mouth would move to speak, but nothing would come out, then it would drop open in shock again. It was a vicious cycle he was in. She waited for him to say something back and he couldn't make any words come out. April could feel her heart sinking into her stomach and then nearly falling out of her butt. The tears were threatening to spill over if he didn't say something to make her feel like she wasn't completely wrong. Still nothing came from his mouth. The tears were getting closer to the surface and she couldn't wait any longer for him to respond, April turned and walked quickly out of the dojo.

The other brothers heard her footsteps, so they quickly scattered trying to look like they hadn't been eavesdropping. Mikey quickly started whistling while Donny and Leo scattered to the sofa. April breezed right passed them without a care. She just didn't want to cry there in front of any of them. After they heard the door slam, they looked at each other not sure what to do. A minute later, Raph came out of the dojo and walked straight to his room and slammed the door.

He began pacing the floor and lightly pounding his palm against his forehead. What had he just let happen? She just said every single thing he had ever wanted to hear from her lips and he just stood here with a dumbfounded look on his face as if he hadn't imagined that moment a thousand times before. He knew what he wanted to say back because he had rehearsed it over and over in his head if the moment should ever arise… And it just did… And he just fucked it up. So much for practicing. Feelings apparently don't come with a manual. It's just suddenly hearing the words in real life scared him just as much as the fantasy. How the hell could he ever make her happy? She was a young woman with a blossoming career and what did he have to offer her? Then he heard a light tap on his door and then Leo poked his head in.

"Not now, Leo." Raph growled.

"Look, I know you're not in the mood because we were all listening to April chew you out while simultaneously confessing her love for you, but," Leo stepped in and Donny and Mikey peeked in too, "We all have feelings for April on some level. She's all our dream, but she told offered herself to you."

He plopped on the bed and looked up at the three pairs of eyes staring at him, "How?"

"It doesn't matter how, man," Mikey said, "All that matters is that you make her happy and she makes you happy and at least one of us should have the dream, Raph."

"But there's so many-" He began again.

"Hey, dumbass! If you wait too long she might change her mind!" Donny interjected, "Don't be an idiot, Raph."

April was laying on her bed, trying to keep the tears at bay. They were mostly dry now and she felt so empty on the inside. All those warm fuzzy feelings made a quick exit. How could she have been so foolish? Why did she do that? Why did she listen to Casey Jones of all people? Talk about your all time backfires. She knew Raph. Did she really think angry, broken Raph was going to melt at the sound of her words? Raph was who he was long before April and he would be this way long after her.

Her thoughts were interrupted by what she thought sounded like a tap on the window. Her heart stopped for a moment. She hopped off her bed and looked out her bedroom door. There in her window was his face. His face was getting sprinkled on by rain drops. April walked over and opened the window and he slipped in and she shut it behind him. She walked off for a moment and returned with a towel for him.

"Thanks." He said gratefully and began drying off.

"What are you doing here, Raph?" She questioned as she stood before him with her arms crossed.

"I need to talk to you, April. There were many things I shoulda said back there and I was in too much shock to speak. It wasn't because I didn't have anything to say. I was just so unprepared for… for that."

Her stance relaxed a little and she nodded, "Okay, go on."

"You weren't really incorrect about anything you said. I think I'm dark and brooding and mysterious but you can read me like an open book. I have been struggling for several weeks now with my feelings about you, April. I've been scared shitless of you and couldn't live without you at the same time for a while now. Then I had that nightmare and you had the same one and- and I thought that maybe it was a sign that I needed to stay away from you because it would be too dangerous and I'm still really confused about that whole thing, but that's besides the point. I just never thought in a million years you could care for me the way I was beginning to care for you."

"Why not?" She asked finally letting her arms fall to her sides.

"What do you mean why? Look at me, April! I'm not even human. I'm literally some kind of monster. The differences between you and I are infinite. I'm green and angry and you're disorganized perfection. You can't take me out with you. What future would you have with me? You wanna live in the sewer with me? How can any part of you find me attractive in any way? Why would I even fathom someone like you being mine? I just didn't-"

Raphael's speech was interrupted when April kissed him. She felt all the feelings could be resolved very simply if they just kissed and decided for themselves how it felt. She pulled back and Raph slowly opened his eyes.

"Tell me you didn't feel everything I feel about you just then." April challenged and Raph didn't argue. He couldn't hold himself back any longer. He pulled April into him and kissed her again. His lips were surprisingly full and very human like. She slid her arms around his neck as far as she could. He was after all almost two feet taller. Raph clutched her waist and lifted her up so she could get a better hold. He felt surprisingly comfortable kissing her. And momentarily, the worries melted away.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Raph was holding April in his arms, trying to shake her awake. She was starting to feel cold. _April! April, wake up_! She didn't move. There was no life left in her body. The tears began to well up in his eyes. He looked up and saw his brother on the ground. None of them were breathing. Blood was beginning to puddle around them. He looked back at April and she suddenly had blood flowing from under his hand that laid on her stomach. _Leo! Mikey! Donny_! He shouted through the tears. To his side on the ground, was his sais, covered in blood.

He jerked his eyes open. His cheeks were soaked from tears. The sun shining on his face which was odd because he lives in a sewer. His eyes adjusted to his surroundings and he realized he was still at April's apartment. He never went home last night. He felt something move behind him. He looked over his shoulder to see April rolling closer to him in her sleep.

"Oh, my God. It was all real." Raph whispered to his self. He was still in disbelief of the revelations that occurred last night and now he was waking up in her bed. She rolled around some more and he turned to look at her again. She seemed to be sleeping peacefully. She was tangled in her hair. She began to rustle around and her eyes flickered open and she stretched her arms out. Her face found Raph's and April smiled at him and he forced a smile back. She put her hand on his cheek and felt the dampness.

"Did you have another nightmare, Raph?" She asked in concern. Raph nodded his head and she dried his face with her palm. She hugged him tight, "It's okay. It's just a dream. Nothing else."

He nodded into her shoulder, "I don't even remember falling asleep here."

"Well, it's not like you haven't stayed a thousand times before." He stayed quiet, "Raph, why are you being so weird?"

"I'm a little confused." He admitted.

"How so?" She questioned.

"I really don't remember falling asleep here…"

"Are you worried something happened and you don't remember?" She asked and he didn't answer her, "We just feel asleep. We didn't do anything like that last night, Raph."

He sighed in relief and she looked at him oddly, "Don't get your feelings hurt. I was just worried that I wasn't remembering last night and I'd be pissed if something had happened and I didn't remember it."

She giggled, "It's all good. You haven't missed anything."

He lightly brushed her hair away from her face, "I don't want to talk about any of the crappy stuff right now, April."

As soon as he said her name, April realized how little he actually said her name because hearing it had never made an impact on her until now, "This is insane." She whispered.

His face moved closer to hers, "I know. Are you changing your mind?"

She shook her head, "No. I just- I still can't believe what all has happened and what's happening now. It's all really insane."

Raph kissed April. He pulled her over to him, but their perfect morning bliss was interrupted. Raph groaned and let his head fall back from April's lips.

"Ten bucks per visitor we know is out there, right now." He said.

"I better go let them in otherwise they'll come in anyway." She said getting up from the bed. Raph tried to look at the ceiling but he couldn't help but watch April out of the corner of his eye. She was in a tank top and her underwear. She was slipping on some sweat pants and threw her hair up in a messy bun and walked out of the room.

"Oh, my God, she's hot." Raph whispered to himself.

April rushed to the window and let them in, "What are you guys doing out in the daylight? Get in here. Come on."

"We're ninjas, April. Nobody saw us." Mikey said in a 'like duh' tone.

She lowered the blinds, "Well, are you guys okay?"

"Yep." Leo replied.

They all stood there looking at each other for a moment and April waited or an explanation that obviously wasn't coming without further questioning, "Okay, so what are you doing here?"

"Just in the neighborhood." Donny stated heading for the fridge.

April rolled her eyes, "Uh huh. I see."

"So, is Raph here by any chance?" Leo grinned.

"Oh shut up, Leo." She laughed, trying not to turn red.

April sat at the bar stool and rested her forehead in her hand, while the turtles raided the kitchen. April's bedroom door opened and Raph came out. All the guys stopped and watched him come out of the room. Mikey's twizzler fell out of his mouth. Raph stopped when he noticed all the eyes on him. April let her face fall to the counter.

"What are you guys looking at?" He asked accusingly.

April knew exactly what they were thinking. They were all looking at Raph like he was a glowing God. They thought that Raph was what they would look like when they got to be with a woman, but little did they know that didn't happen yet. They just thought he was now a man.

"You slept in April's room?" Leo wiggled his brow.

Raph shook his head, "And it's not the first time, remember?"

"Um, Mikey, you dropped your twizzler on the floor." April pointed out. Mikey looked down like she had just spoken Spanish to him, "See, right there, on my floor."

"Guys, snap out of it!" Raph said and walked on to the fridge and the rest of the guys slowly began moving again.

Raph grabbed a couple of coffee cups and poured the dark roast and added April's favorite creamer in one of them and slid it across the island to her.

"Aw, he got her coffee." Mikey squeaked like a little teenage girl.

April and Raph both turned to give him the evil eye, "Shut up, Mikey." They said in unison.

Raph turned back to April, "So, there probably going to be doing this constantly now." He whispered as he leaned across the island toward her like there was nothing there.

"Uh huh. This could get annoying quickly." She whispered back.

"Do you think if I keep whispering in your personal space, they'll make themselves busy?"

She snickered, "No, because even while we're whispering there are eyes looking at us trying to be discrete," She looked over Raph's shoulder, "But failing miserably." She said louder to the guys.

Raph turned around, "Guys, stop with the looks."

The guys all snapped back, "Come on, let's watch TV." Leo suggested begrudgingly.

"You know, there is TV at our place." Raph forcefully recommended as the guys plopped on the couch.

"Yeah, but Ape has HD channels." Donny reminded him as he began flipping through the TV guide.

Raph looked back to April who was just trying not to laugh, "So, it's your fault that they won't leave now."

"I'll get rid of the HD channels as soon as possible." She said mockingly and her cell phone rang. She picked it up and she looked at the ID, "Ugh, it's Bern." She accepted the call, "Hey, Bern. What's up?"

Raph drank his coffee and watched her talking and was so happy. They were together. She was with him. She chatted on for a moment.

"Okay, when do you want me to go?" She asked Bern and Raph's ears perked up, "Uh huh, sounds good, Bern. Talk to you later." And she hung up the phone.

"What's up, babe?" He asked.

"Bern has given me an assignment. Like a real assignment. No trampolines, no flapping my arms like a bird."

"That's great! What is it?"

April looked down for a moment and shyly looked back at Raph, "He wants me to go back to investigating the Foot Clan story."

Raph's face became stern, "Are you kidding me?"

"No, Raph, I'm not kidding. Apparently, Foot Clan activity is slowly increasing again and he thinks there's something to it. He wants me to cover it, since I was the one who started it a year ago." She explained, but Raph's face was still unchanging and upset.

"It's so dangerous, April." He said, "Especially after all that's happened. The Foot knows you and us. You'll be targeted as soon as you start reporting on it. I mean, I know we're here to keep an eye on you, but what if I don't get to you if something happens."

"That's the other thing." She added quietly and he didn't like her tone.

"What's the other thing?" His voice was deepening as he got worked up.

"Well, Bern kind of wants me to do a back story about the Foot… And he wants me to go to Japan to research it." April said and she sat and waited.

"Japan? He wants you to go to Japan and do research." He almost growled in repetition, "How can I protect you in Japan?!"

Mikey, Donny, and Leo slowly turned around when they heard Raph's distraught voice.

"Raph, it's my job to accept assignments or I could lose my job." She stated.

"You could lose your life. You're already on Shredder's shit list thanks to us and everything that went down. You're crazy if you think his reach ends in New York City." He was trying very hard to remain calm.

"What do you want me to do? I have to pay the bills and if Bern says Japan, I don't have much of a choice. I understand your worry, but I'm kind of stuck between a boss and a boyfriend here." April was becoming upset.

Raph placed his arms on the counter and looked down at his coffee mug, "I don't want you to go."

Her heart was sinking. She and Raph finally figured things out and now they were already going to fight, "I- I have to go."

"You're not going, April." He growled as he gripped the counter.

"You're not my father, Raph." She snapped back.

Leo approached the counter next to April, "You know, April, I don't want to tell you what to do, but Raph is right. This could be really dangerous. We can't get to you."

Raph breathed a sigh of relief that someone was on his side.

"Guys, I have to get rent paid. I'll be fine. Bern is only sending me for a few days and he's sending a crew with me. I'm sorry, Raph, I know you're mad, but I gotta do this. And you'll see when I get back that all the worry was over nothing." April said and she got up from the counter so there would be no more arguing.

"Look, Raph, she can handle herself. I really think she'll be okay with a group. Try not to worry." Leo encouraged patting Raph's arm.

"If something happens to her…" Raph trailed off.

"I know, but you can't think like that." Leo said.

Raph shook his head, "I need to get out of here for a while. April's gotta go to work anyways."

April came out of the bathroom from her shower to a note on the island. _Hey, April. We'll see you after work. He just needs to blow off some steam. Leo_

April walked into Bern's office when she got to work to discuss the details of her assignment.

"Are you ready for this, April? This is a big deal for you." Bern commented.

"Yes, I am very excited. I think it'll be a great experience." She replied.

Bern slid a folder across the table to April, "Here is your itinerary, your hotel reservations, flight schedule, and your ticket. You know where your passport is? I know it's been a while since you used it."

"Yes, I have it." She nodded as she flipped through the file.

"You'll only have about four days in Japan after your travel time. Two crew members are going with you. Any questions?" Bern asked as he finished his spill.

"No, not at the moment, but I'll call you if I think of anything."

"Great. Well, get packed, O'Neil. You leave in two days."

April walked through her apartment door after work was over. She laid the file and her keys on the counter and slipped her jacket off. She wondered if she should call Raph or not. She really did understand his fear and anger about the situation, but there was no changing the situation, so there was no point arguing over it anymore. She began reading through her file, but she kept drifting back to Raph and how she would have to leave him in forty-eight hours and be gone for a week from him. She seriously disliked that thought. She hadn't been away from any of the guys for any period of time since she met them. She looked at her phone trying to decide if he had had enough time to cool down or she would just upset him further by calling.

She unlocked her screen and went to her call logs. Her finger hovered over his number until the screen locked again. She sighed and set her phone down, but she picked it back up again, unlocked it, and hit send before she could change her mind. It began ringing on her end, and she heard the faint sound of his phone ringing and it got louder and louder. She turned and looked out the window and he was landing on her fire escape when it went to voicemail. April set her phone down and opened the window for him. He hopped in and reached behind him and shut the window. Before she could even speak, he grabbed her and hugged her tightly.

"I love you." He whispered.

She wrapped her arms around him tightly and buried her face in his neck, "I love you, too."

"I don't like you going, but you have a life and I get it, April." He said sincerely.

"I don't like it, either." She replied, "But I think it'll be alright, babe."

He pulled back and looked at her, "Yeah." He smiled.

"Pizza?" April asked trying to lighten the mood.

"Pizza." Raph confirmed.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Raph was lying awake in his bed. He turned to his night stand to check the time. Soon he would leave for April's to see her off to Japan. His nerves were kicked into overdrive. He was trying not to think about that part of him that was terrified he'd never see her again. He just kept reminding himself that she wouldn't be alone, she would be safe, and it's only a few days. But the other part of him knew she was playing with fire by reporting on the Foot Clan. He tried to push it out of his head. He wanted her to be upbeat, not nervous and upset. It was hard enough that she had to go to another country. Yes, it wasn't the end of the world, but with their new relationship blooming, a trip like this seemed like the end of the world and it would feel like months before she was back. Also, Raph had begun to realize that his new relationship made him way more emotional than not being in a relationship. It was driving him insane. He rolled out of bed and got ready to head to April's before the sun came up.

April was wide awake. She was hoping she would sleep the plane ride away. Plane rides never bothered her, but this was basically a two day trip and that made her extremely nervous. She asked Raph not to stay so she could try and sleep. If he had stayed over, she would have stayed up hanging out with him all night. She looked at her clock, hopefully he would be getting there soon. She rolled out of bed and started going over her list and making sure everything was together. This was probably the most organized she had ever been. It was extremely stressful going out of the country. She brushed her teeth, showered, half way dried her hair, and started the dishwasher. The window slid up and she peaked around the refrigerator and saw Raph coming in.

"Good morning." She said cheerfully.

"Hey, good morning." He replied and walked to her and kissed her neck, then went for the coffee, "You all packed up, babe?"

"I think I've got everything ready. I'm so nervous about being on the plane for so long, though." She said as she wiped down her counters, "Will you pour me some more coffee, please?"

"Yeah," He said and grabbed her cup, "Babe, stop cleaning. We can clean while you're gone."

"I'm done anyway." She tossed the rag into the sink, "Thank you." April took the coffee mug, "Are you okay?"

"I'm going to miss you." Raph said leaning against the counter.

"I'm going to miss you, too, but I don't want to think about it because my plane ride will be horribly emotional. Just tell yourself it's only a week."

"Just be careful. Stay with the crew and watch your back." He warned.

"I'll be fine." She promised as she started grabbing her bags out of her bedroom.

"I'll get those." Raph took all the bags at once and sat them by the door, "Passport?"

"Check."

"Tickets?"

"Check."

"Comfortable shoes and not your high heel boots?"

April rolled her eyes, "Check."

"Okay, I think you're ready to go."

April's phone went off and she picked it up to read it, "It's Vern. He's about five minutes away." She put her phone down and started jumping around as she tried to slip her Ugg boots on standing up, "Gimme some love." April hopped on the sofa.

Raph grinned and walked to her. She jumped off the sofa and he caught her in a hug, "I love you, so much."

"I love you, too. And this will be over before we know it. I promise." She cupped his face as he held her up, "And you be careful while I'm gone." She kissed him ardently to help get her through the next few days. He kissed her back and he didn't want to let her go, but he pulled back and forced it to end.

"You need to get downstairs." He set her down.

April slipped her jacket on and picked up her bags. Raph opened the door and stood back. She stood on her tip toes to kiss him one more time. A big smile formed on her face and she winked at him. As she walked out the door, Raph slapped her ass because he was a teenager after all. He watched her get on the elevator and then he closed the door.

Mikey and Donny were sparing in the dojo while Raph and Leo were messing around with their weapons. Their lesson for the day was coming to an end. Raph and really all the guys were trying to work off their nerves. April's trip seemed to be getting extended endlessly. She was going on her third week in Japan. Apparently whatever back story she was digging up was impressive to Bern because he kept funding her for more time. April was going insane, but she had to stay if Bern told her to stay. Raph was just waiting, very impatiently for his call from April saying she was coming home. All the guys had been become just as uneasy as Raph after the second week. The longer she was there, the more apparent her presence would be.

April, Vern, and their third tech guys, Dave were walking around a market in Japan. Their sources had been running dry for a couple of days, but only so many people would talk due to their fears of the Foot. Some people felt they were all knowing and all seeing and they refused to talk to April.

"Guys, I really don't know what else to do. I think it's all dried up here." April said while she looked through some fruit.

"I agree, O'Neil. I think you've scared everybody enough." Vern commented.

She rolled her eyes, "Please, Vern, these people were scared of the Foot long before I came along."

"Yeah, but you're bold enough to talk to people about it and it's supposed to be a big secret." He argued.

"Maybe so, but we're almost done."

Vern watched her picking fruit and kept trying to make himself open his mouth to talk, "So, O'Neil, you want to eat dinner tonight?"

"We eat dinner every night, Vern." She stated.

"That's me, you, and Dave. I was asking you." He said as he kept looking down at the fruit.

"Like a date?" April questioned.

"I asked you to eat dinner, but if you want to go on a date with me I mean who am I to say no?"

April chuckled, "I appreciate you asking, but I'm kind of seeing somebody."

"Really?" He asked kind of in shock, "Since when? You haven't ever mentioned anybody."

"It's really new and we're just not really announcing it to people, you know, but it's still exclusive." She explained.

"I see. What's his name?"

"Raphael." She replied.

"Italian guy?"

She cocked her head to the side, "Okay."

April and Vern finished their shopping at the market and met up with Dave to go eat dinner. They decided to eat at this really small 'hole in the wall' diner close to the hotel they were staying in. April couldn't wait to get back to New York and eat pizza with the guys. The home sickness was starting to become a big problem. She would get teary eyed if she thought about it too long.

"Hey, Dave. Sorry we're late. We ran to the market to get stuff for breakfast." Vern said as he and April sat down.

"That's fine. I ordered you guys a couple of soda's and you're just in time for the good news." Dave said cheerfully.

"Oh, yeah? What's that?" April asked and took a sip of her drink.

"We get to go home the day after tomorrow. We have about thirty-six hours left in this place and we are New York bound, kids!" He exclaimed.

"Shut up! Are you serious?!" April practically squealed.

"As a heart attack. I was just on the phone with Bern before you guys got here. He said he thinks we got plenty to do several news casts back in the states, especially if new stuff keeps popping up like it has been."

"Have there been any more Foot attacks in New York?" April questioned.

Dave nodded his head, "Yep. Two nights ago, but New York's finest group of unseen vigilante's put a stop to it."

April nearly choked on her drink. The guys had been out on a raid. Her mind started to panic, "Was anyone hurt? Other than the Foot Clan, I mean."

"No, that I'm aware. Just Foot Clan members tied up as usual. These guys are good."

She had the undying need to call Raph now, but she left her calling card in the room. It would have to wait until she got done eating. They ordered their food and enjoyed their next to last evening in another country before heading back to their mother land. April was so excited to get back to her apartment, in her bed, in her large bathtub, and to Raph.

Throughout the night at the small diner a group of younger looking guys, had seemed to keep looking in April's direction all evening. At first, she thought it was her imagination, but it just started to seem too obvious. They were dressed in dark clothes and April was almost certain she saw a dark red bandana hanging out of one of the guys back pocket. The longer she sat there, the more convinced she was they were part of the Foot. Dave and Vern seemed completely oblivious to the situation and April just stayed quiet. But as the guys got up to start leaving, she wanted to follow.

"Hey, guys, I'm going to step out and get some air for a sec." She said and hopped up without waiting for a response.

It had gotten almost totally dark outside and she could barely see the group walking along a dark pathway. April tried to stay on her tip toes because she was in her high heel boots that Raph had warned her against. She slipped her hand in her pocket and took hold of a pocket knife she had purchased once they had arrived in Japan just in case. She crept along close to the wall as possible. They guys said nothing, they just kept moving like they had an agenda. She was beginning to lose sight of them as the sun completely set. She pushed off the wall trying to see if she could spot them, but she could see nothing. She sighed in disappointment and when she turned around, she was standing face to face with one of the guys. She started to scream, but he covered her mouth and pushed her back against the wall.

"April O'Neil, you've been a nosy girl." The voice sent chills down her spine as panic overtook her body. He slammed her against the wall again and she moaned in pain under his pain, "I'm here to warn you, O'Neil, to shut your mouth before it gets you killed here or in New York. Curiosity killed the cat and he will kill you." He whispered in her ear. The tears were starting to flow down her cheeks. He took his hand off her mouth and knocked her in the head. April fell to the ground unconscious.

Raph jerked up from his pillow in a cold sweat, "April!" He shouted before he realized he was having another nightmare. He looked around making sure he was in his room. Donny busted in his room, "Donny, you ever heard of knocking?!"

"Raph, it's April! Get downstairs!" He shouted.

Raph jumped out of his bed and ran after Donny. The other two brothers were sitting on the couch watching Channel 3 News. A picture of April flashed up in the corner of the screen.

"And in other news, one of our very own reporters, April O'Neil, is on an emergency flight back home from Japan after a vicious Foot Clan attack." Said the news reporter, "Miss O'Neil was in Okinawa researching the ever so growing Foot Clan that plagues our fair city. She was found outside a local diner mere blocks from the hotel in which her and her news team were staying. We are all thinking about you, April and praying for your quick recovery. This is Channel 3 News. Good night."

"What happened to her?!" Raph yelled at the TV.

"Look, Raph, we know she's alive and she's on her way home." Leo said trying to comfort him.

"I told you and I told her this would happen!" He shouted, "I told you they would hurt her! She's lucky to be alive, but who the hell knows what they did to her!"

"Raphael!" Splinter shouted above Raph's deep voice.

"Yes, sensei." Raph obeyed Splinter no matter his emotional state.

"Come with me, son." Splinter requested.

Raph followed Splinter into the dojo and sat across from him.

"Raphael, please talk to me, my son."

"It's April, father. They attacked her in Japan and I don't know if she's okay or not."

"You are different from your brothers in the since that you hold on to your anger. You hold it deep in your heart and you will not let me nor your brothers in. I have tried to channel your anger, Raphael, but it remained, until you started seeing April. She can reach you in ways I cannot. You open up to her and she brings you peace. But being with her is a risk, a risk that you were both well aware of. She is alive and she will heal and you will still protect her. You mustn't let this attack set you back in the progress you have made to lead a happier life than the one you had before." Splinter put his hand on Raph's shoulder as he began to cry, "I love you, my son."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The guys waited at April's apartment. After she got back from Japan, Bern asked her to go to the hospital and get checked out, so it was yet another day after she got home before she would see Raph, Leo, Mikey, and Donny. All the guys were uneasy. Donny and Mikey were snacking out of pure stress. Raph and Leo remained very somber. April had said on the phone she looked and was in fact fine, but none of them would believe it until they saw her. After the news report of April's attack in Japan and the media openly blaming it on the Foot, she was in more danger than ever now.

They all looked at the door when it sounded like footsteps were approaching the apartment. Raph's heart began to beat faster when they heard the key unlock and the sound of the door opening. April walked in and shut and locked the door behind her. She set her bags down at her feet and slowly crept into the living room, not knowing if the guys would be there or not. There was Mikey and Donny sitting at the island eating. Raph and Leo were pacing a hole in her kitchen floor.

"Hey guys!" She said excitedly but they could tell she was exhausted from everything that happened over the last week and it was making them nervous that she was wearing her sunglasses.

Mikey and Donny ran to her and hugged her, "We missed you so much!" Mikey exclaimed.

"You have to promise to never go away for that long ever again." Donny demanded.

"I know, I'm sorry." She replied, "But you have to put me down, now."

Leo was waiting to hug her. He wrapped his arms around her, "I'm glad you're okay, April. We were worried sick."

"Thanks, Leo. I'm really fine." She smiled but she was looking passed him at Raph.

She walked towards him and him to her. She pushed her sunglasses up to her head so

she could see him better. He stopped when he saw her face and she stopped dead in her tracks too. Her nerves about them seeing her face had been killing her. He just looked at her and she could see the anger building in his face and his body. The tears were coming to the surface as she watched him. She didn't want him to be angry right now, she just wanted him to hold her and tell her everything was okay now.

Raph glared at the large purple bruise on the left side of her face. There was a bandage covering the stitches. He could tell she was painful to hold her body up. God, what did the rest of her look like? Mikey and Donny probably killed her when they picked her up. April's entire body was covered in clothes. He knew she looked bad. She was never so modest. He saw the tears well up in her eyes and he tried to calm his anger. It's not what she needed. His hands reached to her shoulders and pulled her into his body. He was careful not to squeeze her too hard. The tears began to fall on his chest and Raph gave his brothers the 'leave us alone' look and they all quietly snuck out the window. Once Raph was sure they were gone, he picked up her legs and carried her to the bathroom. She didn't ask questions, April knew he was doing what she needed him to do. Take care of her.

Raph turned on the faucet and clogged the drain. While the tub filled with steaming water, he began undressing April. He gently took the bandage off her face and revealed several stitches at the end of her eyebrow. He carefully slipped her shirt over her head, slipped her shoes off, and slipped her jeans down to the floor. Her eyes squeezed shut when the pain in her body was irritated. Bruises lined the sides of her stomach, they probably kicked her around on the ground. He tried not to look at them as he took her underwear off. Her arms had a few finger print bruises, as well. He lifted her over the tub and set her down. She moaned at how hot the water was.

"I know it's hot, babe, but it's the only thing that will get your muscles to relax." He explained as he stroked her forehead, "Just give it a few minutes, it'll feel better, okay?"

She just nodded her head as a couple more tears ran down her face. Raph sat on the floor next to the tub and massaged her arms and rubbed down her sides trying to get the tension to ease. All she did was moan a little when it hurt, but she let Raph do what he needed to do.

"Did they give you muscle relaxers?" He asked.

"Yeah, they did."

"Is it time for you to take them?"

"Probably so." She answered. She was very out of it.

"Okay, come on." Raph unclogged the drain, grabbed a towel, and helped her out of the tub, "Dry off." He said and he left the bathroom and returned with sweat pants and a t-shirt for her to put on.

After the uneasy part of reuniting was over, they both started to relax. April took her medicine and she and Raph took to the sofa to watch TV and relax.

"Babe, have you eaten?" April asked once they were situated.

"Um hm. You hungry?" Raph replied.

"I really want some pizza." She grinned and with that he picked up the phone and dialed.

April got a little more spunk in her after she ate some pizza. Raph chilled out as she started to joke and act a little more like herself. He knew something like this would take her a long time to get over and deal with mentally, but he would be with her every step of the way.

"God, that was sooo good!" She exclaimed as she popped the last piece of crust I her mouth, "I got so tired of sushi and fish and brains and all that. I needed some Americanized Italian."

Raph chuckled at April, "I'm glad it just took a little pizza to get you smiling again, babe."

"Well, it wasn't just the pizza." April grinned and crawled to Raph's side of the couch. She wrapped her arms around his neck and began kissing him.

"I missed you so much, April." He sighed as she loved on him.

"I missed you, too. I hated it. I hated every minute I was away." She said honestly.

Raph took her lips to his again and she gladly accepted. Their emotions were so crazy after not seeing each other for weeks. They were becoming worked up as they kept kissing each other, both f them trying to outdo the other. April straddled Raph's lap and without thinking he wrapped his arms around her and she moaned in pain and he released her.

"Sorry, sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't even think about it for a second." Raph said with worry on his face.

She smiled at him, "It's okay. I didn't want to think about it hurting, but I guess it really does. I guess it's not the best time for me to initiate foreplay, huh?"

Raph was caught off guard by that remark. Was April trying to initiate something other than the usual making out session? Was she thinking about Raph in that way?

"Foreplay?" Raph asked.

April slowly nodded wondering if she had said something wrong, "Yeah, is that a bad thing?"

"I just didn't know if you were wanting to do that with- with- Well, you know, with-" Raph couldn't make himself spit out the words. He reverted back to a twelve-year-old boy who laughed when Mikey would say boobs. He put his face in his palm in embarrassment, "I'm gonna shut up now."

"Raph, we don't have to do that if you-" April began.

"Oh, no," He interrupted, "I want to do that with you. I just didn't really think it would be an option because I didn't think you would want to do that with me."

"I'm in love with you. Why wouldn't I want to be intimate in every way a couple is supposed to be?" She asked.

"Our relationship is a little different, April." He stated bluntly.

"Raph, our differences physically don't make me any less attracted to you. Sure, it's not conventional, but I didn't just settle for you or something, I really fell in love with you. I fell in love with every part, mentally and physically. I think you guys would be shocked at how many women find some crazy shit like this hot. Women have fantasies about weird stuff, just like guys. You may not be human, but it doesn't mean you don't look good, babe. I mean, think about it. You're super tall. Plus. You're athletic. Plus. You're insanely muscular. Plus. You're a crazy good ninja. Plus. You just happen to not be human, so what?! Then there is everything you have going on up here." She pointed to his head, "You're smart, you're funny, you're sarcastic, you're sweet. Look at what you just did for me when I got home. Look at what you've done for me in the last year. You were the one that saved me that lead to all this. Don't doubt yourself in this relationship."

"Sometimes, I get really scared by this." He said motioning to the both of them, "You're better than anyone I could have dreamed of and believe you me, Mikey has the Playboys to prove it. When you look at it from my point of view, there is no reason for you to stick with me and you do. It would be too much for me to expect that I get every part of you including the physical parts, April."

"All this crap is going to work itself out in the future because if there was no way we wouldn't be doing this. I promise it's going to work out. But don't think for a second you just lucked out or something. You deserve to be happy, too. I don't care what you're problems are with who you are. You're not lucky to have me, I'm lucky to have you." April smiled and his mind eased.

Raph didn't know what to say. She meant every word she said. And as happy as he was with every word she said, that bruise on his face made the anger inside him rage in his mind. The need to kill was rising in him, the longer he looked at it.

"Please, stop looking at me like that, Raph." She sighed and slid off his lap onto the sofa.

"What?" He asked trying to sound oblivious.

"I can see you just looking at the bruises. You're not looking anywhere else. I used to be annoyed when you thought you were discretely staring at my boobs, but now I prefer that because at least those make you happy." She said not hiding her irritation.

"You want to stare at your boobs, I totally will!" He joked trying to make her smile, but it failed miserably.

"Raph, please, just try to stop for a second." She glared at him.

He stood up and started slamming things around in the kitchen as he cleaned, "I'm trying, April! I really am, but you want me to act like you didn't come home with the shit beat out of you and guess what?! I can't fucking do it! I am pissed and I'm going to rip someone to shreds and you'll deal with it because I dealt with you going regardless of my warning that this would happen. This is me, ok? I may be crazy in love with you, but I'm still angry and guarded! You're not changing that!" He looked back towards the couch and he could see April's shoulders moving like she was crying and trying to hide it, "Shit." He whispered to himself. _Not the time, Raph_, he told himself. He walked back around the sofa and she was crying a little, "I'm sorry."

"Please, don't say you're sorry, Raph. You're right… You're completely right. I should have listened to you about going to Japan, but I didn't." She conceded shrugging her shoulders, "I can't change my decision now and I'm not asking you to not be mad about it. You have every right to be and I'm mad about it, too. I have never felt weaker and less capable in my life. I'm not asking you to sweep it under the rug, babe. Just for tonight, act like I fell down a flight of stairs. I just don't want to think about it for a few hours. I missed you and I just want to see you. Be angry tomorrow."

Raph nodded his head, "You got it."

"Thank you." She replied gratefully.

And that was that. Not another word was said about it. A couple of hours later as the sun was falling, there was a tap on the window. April was doped up in Raph's lap.

"We've got company!" April exclaimed in her altered state of mind.

"I'm buying you some drapes." Raph said rolling his eyes.

April jumped up and nearly tripped over the coffee table.

"Whoa ! Be careful, babe! You're kind of on pain meds." Raph said leaning forward to grab her arm.

"Pssshhhh, I'm good. I'm totally good, but the guys are here and they don't know I took medicine, so sssshhhhhh." She said putting her index finger in front of her lips.

"You're absolutely right, Houdini. No one will know unless I tell them." He retorted and as she pushed on the window.

"This isn't opening for some reason, babe. It's broken. My window is broken. I'm calling the maintenance guy." She said about to march from the window, but Raph hopped up and unlocked the window.

"I got it." And he lifted the window with one hand, "Come on in, guys. April is not on pain meds at all. I swear." He said dryly.

"That's right! I'm not." She agreed from the kitchen as she started eating the left over pizza, "You are awesome." She whispered to the pizza.

"Glad to see you're feeling better, April." Leo said and gave Raph a weird grin.

Mikey set down a bag on the coffee table.

"Mikey, what is that?" April said with a spoon full of peanut butter in her mouth.

"It's Sega!" He replied happily. He finally felt like someone was on his level. Sure it was a very doped up April, but he felt he could relate to her better now.

"Yes, I can actually play that one!" She said running back to the living room.

Donny had a mouth full of pork rhines, "Having a good time, Raph?"

"She's been fine, honestly. She's just been laying on the couch talking about what if the sky was green and why did God make people have armpit hair, but now that Mikey is here." Raph shook his head.

Mikey flipped the gaming system on and handing out the controllers. April took one from him.

"I want to be the blue one!" She claimed first.

"You mean Sonic?" Mikey asked egging it on.

"If he's the blue one." She answered rolling her eyes.

Mikey turned and looked at his brothers and whispered, "I just became the smart one, guys!"

Donny looked back at Raph, "I think she is just the one to have those conversations with. Have you guys talked about anything that went down yet?"

Raph shook his head, "No, she asked me to just drop for tonight and she would deal with it after that. She's tired and she's scared. She'll barely get up to go pee without me going with her."

"You go to the bathroom with her?" Leo asked.

"I said barely, Leo, barely." He corrected his brother.

"Those must be good meds because judging by the bruises on her arms, she should be hurting." Donny commented tossing another pork rhine in his mouth.

"Her arms and her face aren't even the worst part. Her stomach is black and blue. I guarantee you after the knocked the shit out of her face, they kicked her around on the ground just for the fun of it." Raph concluded through gritted teeth.

Leo patted his arm, "Let's not talk about it anymore tonight. Calm down and let's do as April asked. We'll all take turns tonight taking watch."

There was another knock at the window and it was Casey Jones, Raph waved for him to come on in. Mikey and April were so enthralled in playing games they didn't notice him walk in, so he joined the guys at the island. He set his drinks on the counter.

"She looks rough, but in good spirits at least." Casey observed and he popped open his drink.

"She's flying pretty high right now." Raph laughed.

Donny and Leo went and sat on the couch.

"So, how's y'alls new thing going?" Casey asked wiggling his eyebrows.

"Well, we've spent most of our 'new thing' apart. It was only two days before she left for Japan." He answered.

"So, no boom boom yet?"

Raph elbowed his arm, "No, idiot."

"You think that'll happen any time soon?" Casey pushed.

Raph got an exasperated look on his face, "I don't know when anything will happen. Why are you asking?"

"Just asking. You know, I'm perverted. I like to discuss these things. Plus, you're a turtle and I really want to know how it goes." Casey said honestly and Raph thumped him in the forehead.

"You're not going to know anything." Raph smirked and joined the others in the living room.

Casey shook his head and grinned, "That guy needs to get laid." He said to himself before going to the living room, too.


	8. Chapter 8

Just to be safe, I'm rating this chapter T. There's nothing explicit, but it's implied. Enjoy!

Chapter 8

It had been a long night of games and chit chat. April passed out and Raph carried her to her bed and laid down with her. Leo stayed up in the living room to keep an eye on the apartment. The guys all piled around and passed out with chip bags and coke cans surrounding them. They were exhausted and even though it was nice to have things back to normal, no one could shake the uneasy feeling in the room. The fear was sitting there. They knew something else was going to happen. They knew the Shredder would come after April again. They were whole again, but it didn't make the fear subside. Raphael could get sick at the mere thoughts of what's happened. He wanted to take April underground and keep her there with him, but he knew that wouldn't fly with her. At all.

April walked down through the darkness. She was trembling as she tried to secretly keep up with the people in front of her. Her heart is beating so loud she thinks they could hear it. She was losing them. They were moving at the same speed, but April couldn't keep up. She felt herself falling back more and more. Then suddenly she's back in that same corridor with the faint light at the end of the tunnel. _No_. She says quietly and the tears begin to well up as she approaches the light. She can see him. She starts to run as fast as she can. There he was just as before. Raph was knelt down holding her lifeless body. She tried to step closer, but something wouldn't let her get to him. _Raphael! I'm right here!_ But he couldn't see her. Why couldn't he see her? _Raph!_ She screamed as hard as she could for him to hear her and he saw nothing.

April popped up from her pillow, "Raph! Raph, I'm rig-" She was going to hyperventilate she was breathing so hard, "Raph." She looked around her dark room to get her bearings.

Raph's eyes flicked open and he put his hand on her should, "Baby? Are you okay?" He sat up next to April. Her face and her chest were pouring sweat. She just looked at him in confusion, "April, can you hear me?"

She blinked a few times, "Raph, you can hear me, right?"

"Of course, I can hear you." He replied feeling very uneasy.

"You couldn't hear me. You couldn't hear me." She panted.

"April, you're going to hyperventilate. Calm down. Slow your breathing." He put his hand on her chest.

"It was that nightmare again. It was the same one." She said and she buried her face in his plastron and he held her tight, "You couldn't hear me yelling at you. I could see you holding my body and you couldn't hear me." She cried.

"Shhh, it's okay. It's the same nightmare I've been having, but it's only a nightmare." He tried to sooth her.

"Raph, it's not a coincidence that we're having the same dream repeatedly. Something bad is going to happen." She kept crying, "Something is going to happen to us."

He tried not to think about that possibility and calm her down, "April, I'm not going to let anything happen to you. Ever. Do you understand me? This nightmare means nothing. I don't believe it's tellin' me the future. I will save you. I will always save you. Even if it's years from now and even if we're not together anymore for some reason, I will always save you. Do you believe me?"

April nodded as she tried to make the tears subside, "I believe you."

He leaned down and kissed her and when he tried to pull back, she wouldn't let him. She kissed him harder. Raph knew exactly what it was. That was _the_ kiss. The kiss that leads to something else. The kiss that meant she was ready. He put his hands in her hair and kissed her deeply. He was careful not to be rough with her because God knows she was more delicate than ever now. They laid down together in the bed and he pulled the sheet over them.

Raph woke up completely exhausted, he felt like he hadn't slept at all, but for all the right reasons. He was elated. It had happened and it had happened with his April. He looked over and his arm was draped over her stomach. She was still completely bare and he still blushed when he looked. She was sleeping like a rock. Her mouth was hanging open and she was eating her hair. He tried not to laugh. He stood up and stretched. He felt different. He felt like they were completely each other's now and it was a calming feeling. Quietly, he pulled the sheet over her and snuck out of the bedroom.

Mikey and Donny were awake in the kitchen. Raph walked to the island and fixed some coffee. He looked up at Mikey and Donny who were staring with very suspicious grins over their cereal bowls.

"Is something wrong?" Raph asked as he put the coffee pot back, but they just stared, "What is it?" Mikey just sat there grinning and Donny kept spooning the cereal into his mouth, but his eyes never left Raph. Raph rolled his eyes, "What did you guys hear?"

Mikey snorted a little, "Oh, just enough my friend. Just enough."

"Don't say anything to April. She's still asleep and I don't want you guys to embarrass her." Raph said as he eyed her door waiting to see if she would come out.

"How was it?" Donny asked, basically ignoring Raph's first demand.

"Shut up, Donny." He growled and April opened her door and went straight to the bathroom without acknowledging anybody.

"So, uh, she was just wearing a sheet." Mikey stated the obvious.

"I swear if she heard you guys…" Raph trailed off and made his way to the bathroom.

"We may very well be in deep shit, Donny." Mikey said.

"There is a one hundred percent chance you are correct, Mikey." Donny replied and went back to his cereal.

Leo came back in from the fire escape and walked to the island, "What's up, guys?"

"Raph and April did it and we're in trouble." Donny said and went back to his cereal yet again.

Leo cocked his head at them for a moment, "What the- Wait, you know what? I don't want to know."

Raph tapped on the door of the bathroom and April didn't respond to him, so he slowly nudged the door open, "Ape? Babe?" She was standing at the sink wetting down her arms and face, "You alright?"

She was gripping the edge of the sink as the cold water ran down her face and arms. He could tell she was thinking because her eyes were blinking rapidly and looking in all directions, "I need you to tell me what happened last night. I'm very confused right now."

Raph came into the bathroom and shut the door behind him, "Well, everybody came over and we hung-"

"I know that part, Raph. Did we…?" She asked motioning between the two of them.

Raph nodded his head and April took in a deep breath. Raph's mind was going crazy with the doubt and fear now. He knew she was disgusted and she was changing her mind about everything, "Should I go?"

April shook her head, "No. No. It's not what you're thinking. The nightmare was so real that I couldn't remember if the other part was a dream or not. I was just in disbelief when I woke up and you weren't in the bed with me. I wasn't sure what happened…" She leaned against the wall and she gripped the sheets in her fingers out of nervousness, "Why are you being quiet and stand offish? Was it bad?"

Raphael snorted at that question, "How could you ask that?"

"Because you're not saying anything and I'm going to start to silently panicking if you don't start talking, Raph." Her voice definitely went up an octave.

"April, I don't have anything to compare last night to, but I'm pretty sure it was the most incredible thing to happen to me." He said without fear of rejection or embarrassment.

"Yeah?" She asked looking up through her long lashes.

"Yeah." He confirmed and enclosed her in his large arms, the cold dampness on her face sent chills down his spine. She wrapped her arms around his neck and took a deep breath, "You okay now?" She her head into his chest and he could feel her face starting to smile.

"It's just if someone had asked me a year ago where I thought I'd be today… This is the craziest scenario anyone could think of for their life and aside from the attack and that crap, I can't believe how happy this makes me. Who would have thought that all those nights hanging out together that this is what would happen between us?" She chuckled at the unrealistic situation.

Raph nuzzled her hair and smiled, "Definitely, not me. I figured if for some reason you were going to fall for any of us, I would be last on the list."

April shook her head as she looked up at him and he could feel the warmth from her being there, "It was always going to be you. No matter how much I fought with it in my head, it was you."

Raph couldn't help himself and the biggest smile spread across his face, "Yeah? Me?"

"Yeah and if I had known that's all it took to make you smile like that, I would have told you that sooner." She smiled back at him.

He leaned in for a kiss, which she graciously accepted. His hand tangled in her messy, morning hair and the other was clutching her waist as if she were about to disappear from his hold. She tugged his face down towards hers, like she was desperate for him. He lifted her up, but she flinched and he set her down quickly, "I'm sorry."

She grinned and brushed the pain away in her head, "It's really a bad time to be sore from head to toe."

He put his forehead to hers, "You're telling me… April?"

"What?" She asked and turned her eyes back up to his.

"I'm in-" But Raph was interrupted by a knock on the door, "What?" He growled.

Mikey stuck his head in the bathroom, "Uh, yeah, sorry bro, I know I'm already on your shit list, but April's cell keeps ringing and it's her boss."

"Shit, I forgot. I was supposed to call him and let him know how I was doing." She stated and as she followed Mikey, she looked back at Raph, "Tell me later, kay?"

Raph nodded, but he knew his courage already passed and who knew when it would come back. He listened for April as she talked to Bern in her bedroom. Every couple minutes he'd walk to the kitchen, so he could look at her. She was still wrapped in the sheet and she sat on the edge of her bed. He couldn't stop watching the way she moved, how feminine and delicate her features were, the way she propped her chin on her knee as she perched her foot on the bed. She was careful to make sure she wasn't exposed. She played with her foot and examined her toe nail polish, then she turned her hand to examine her finger nail polish. Then her gaze turned up away from her nails and she noticed Raph. She smiled delicately at him and he smiled back. He could tell she momentarily quit listening to Bern. She gazed back at him and then her lips moved as she mouthed something to Raph that she didn't want Bern to hear. Raph wasn't sure he was seeing it correctly. Surely she didn't say what he thought she said. Raph winked at her, but then April's face turned sour and she started talking to Bern again. She stood up and shut the door.

Her voice was muffled, but he could tell she wasn't happy about what she was being told. The argument continued for a couple of minutes and when April opened the door, she was fully dressed, "I have to go to the station for a little bit."

"You don't need to go anywhere, April. What are you talking about?" Leo spouted, but he felt Raph looking at him oddly, "Sorry, that was probably your line, Raph." Leo motioned to Raph for him to take over the conversation, "Please, proceed."

"You don't need to go anywhere, April. What are you talking about?" Raph asked.

"My thoughts exactly." Leo commented and Raph shot him a 'shut up' look, "Sorry again. Continue."

"Bern said the stations are running my story again today and he said if I want some kind of reprieve and take the heat off the Foot Clan publicly and maybe save my ass, I have to go and put in a statement for the stations to run." April explained, "Vern is going to pick me up in the van."

Raph thought for a moment and though he wanted to rage and get angry, he took a breath, "Okay, I want you to call me and let me know when you get there and call me when he's bringing you home. And I want Casey to go with you because if anything is going to happen, Vern doesn't stand a chance against a buncha ninja's."

April wanted to argue and disagree, but she knew Raph was making an effort to not treat her like a child after what happened in Japan, so she took a breath as well, "Okay. Deal."

Raph nodded at her and Casey hopped off the couch, "Okay, O'Neil, guess I'm your bodyguard today. Let's do this."

"I'll see you later today." She said to Raph and she kissed his cheek.

"You bet you are." He said firmly and she walked out the door.

"I'll take care of her." Casey reassured the guys and he shut the door.

It had been a couple of hours since April had left with Casey and Vern and she had messaged Raph just like she said she would, but they were still on edge. How long did it take to get a statement for the news? All the guys were walking balls of nerves. Donny was fidgeting with April's laptop, trying to speed it up. Mikey was beat boxing, Leo was meditating, and Raph just sat… sat and waited.

"It's time for the news. Let's see if they say anything about April." Mikey suggested and flipped on the TV.

Channel 3 News came up on the screen a couple of seconds later, "Good afternoon, this is June Woodall with the three o'clock news. Thank you for joining us. As most of you heard yesterday, one of our own, April O'Neil, suffered a vicious attack in a back alley on her trip to Japan. Many of us were concerned for her safety and well-being and we are happy to announce that she is here today with an update. April O'Neil." The camera panned out and revealed April sitting the chair next to June.

"Shit. What is she doing?" Raph cringed.

"April, so great to see you. How are you feeling? I see a couple of bruises here and there." June said sounding chipper and Raph wanted to put his hand through the TV.

April plastered on a fake smile. They had put some heavy makeup on her, "It's good to be here, June. Yeah, I'm doing better. Nothing a little bed rest won't take care of."

"So, you were attacked on a business trip in Japan while doing research on the history of the Foot Clan. It has been said by several sources that they believe the reason for the trip and the attack are related." June stated.

April became visibly uncomfortable, but stayed composed, "Uh, well, you know, I guess that would seem like the most logical conclusion to some people. While I don't know the sources you're speaking of, there has been no evidence to support that statement, June."

"Good girl, April, keep it together." Donny said at the TV.

"Do you think it's connected to the Foot Clan?" June pushed.

April shook her head, "I have no reason to believe that it is. I was probably just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Happens everywhere. It could have happened to me here and to anybody for that matter."

June smiled, "No guardian angels in Japan, huh?"

April genuinely smiled as she knew June was referring to the turtles that no one else knew about, "My saviors are always watching me, I think. I'm a little bruised, but I'm not dead and I know someone has my back all the time."

"That's an excellent outlook. Thank you for coming to see us."

"Thank you, June." April said right as Mikey cut the TV off.

"That wasn't as bad as it could have been." Mikey reasoned.

"She still didn't need to be on TV because now they know for sure she's home." Leo countered and Raph grunted in agreement and then his phone buzzed on the table.

He picked it up and read it, 'On the way home, babe.'


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Vern drove quietly. He felt quite uncomfortable with Casey sitting in the passenger side seat of the van instead of O'Neil. Every few minutes he would glance in his rear view mirror. April was sitting against the wall fiddling with her phone. He could tell she was waiting for someone to contact her, probably this Raphael, the maybe Italian. So who was Casey, exactly? Vern was confused as he drove down the busy New York streets. How does April seem to have the most unusual people in her life.

"So." Vern cleared his throat, "O'Neil. How do you feel about the interview?"

He looked at the mirror again, she shrugged her shoulders and finally put the phone down, "I don't know. It pisses me off that Bern just threw me on TV instead of taking a statement like he said he would on the phone."

"It'll be okay, Ape." Casey said quietly. He knew she was nervous about what happened.

Vern's brow furrowed. Ape? He knows her well enough to have a nickname for her. A bad one, but a nickname nonetheless. April doesn't look like an overgrown, hairy, masculine primate, "How do you two know each other exactly? Are you an old friend? Boyfriend? Relative?"

Casey tried not to obviously roll his eyes at the questions. He knew what Vern was getting at, "I'm a friend."

April acted like she was still on her phone, but she was really listening to Vern and Casey and trying not to laugh at the awkwardness of it all, you know the flirty co-worker and the boyfriends best friend.

"Friend's are always nice to have." Vern replied uneasily, "How did you meet?"

"Through Ape's boyfriend, Raph. He and I are buddies." Casey answered.

"Oh, yeah. The boyfriend. Yes, that's precious. So, buddies with the boyfriend. Is he a cool guy?" Vern continued to pick.

Casey got a sly grin on his face, "Uh huh, he's cool. He's into karate and he likes going to the gym, you know, the body builder type."

Vern's gut started hurting, "Body builder, huh?"

"Yep, the bone crushing type. He's like over six feet tall and he's really protective of April." Casey said in a mockingly concerned tone, "In fact, I wonder how he's going to like April riding with you to the station."

Vern was beginning to look visibly nauseated.

"It's fine, Casey. He knows." April spoke up in an annoyed tone. Casey was being a little ridiculous.

Vern sighed quietly, "So, I'm not going to get crushed when I drop you off then?"

"It's completely okay, Vern." April said sincerely, "Casey likes to exaggerate a little." She said shooting him a glare.

Vern chuckled uncomfortably, "So, he's not a body builder."

April shook her head, "No, he _is_ that big."

Vern just hung his head again. He couldn't win today. He came to a stop at a light just a couple of blocks from April's apartment building. They sat and waited for the go ahead when suddenly there was a banging on the back of the van. April jumped back. There were masked men trying to get in the door pried open.

"April!" Casey shouted and grabbed her arm. In one swift move, he jerked her to the front of the van into his lap, "Hit it, Vern!"

Vern slammed on the accelerator, honking the horn to warn the ongoing traffic. The back doors of the van flung open and few of the foot members clung to the doors, trying desperately to climb in.

"Casey!" April exclaimed and pointed at the guys successfully climbing in.

"Shit!" He swiftly stood up and slid April into his seat, "Vern, keep driving no matter what!"

"You got it!" Vern shouted, "There's a bat behind my seat!"

Casey glanced to the side and grabbed the bat and swung at the first guy that came at him. He fell back and flew out of the van, bringing another guy flying out with him, "Two down! Surprising since this is a red metal bat!" Casey joked. He carefully walked toward the doors and hit a third guy in the arm that was clinging to the door. They were flying through traffic and there was still two goons making their way into the van. Casey was trying his damndest to keep up the pace, but they were starting to overtake him. It was one against five after all.

"Vern, you got anything else in here that'll do some damage?!" April shouted over the horn honking and screaming pedestrian's.

"There's a crowbar under your seat, but you need-"

It was too late, April's hand snuck under the seat and grabbed the cold metal bar and headed to the back to help Casey. He finally got the third guy off the door when the last two masked men attacked him. April gripped the bar in her tiny hands and marched towards the fight. She brought the crowbar back as far as she could, "Hey!" She shouted and the man turned around. His face was met with a hard smack and he crumpled down to the floor and fell out of the van, "Take that, bitch." She mumbled and turned her attention to Casey who was still struggling with the last one, "Casey, duck!" She yelled. Casey hit the floor of the van quickly when he saw April about to swing. She knocked him in the rib cage and fell down in pain, "Not today!" She shouted and hit him in the head and he flew out of the van.

Casey got back to his feet, "Good job, Ape!"

"Thanks, you okay?" She asked through deep breathes.

"You know I'm hard headed and tough. I'm fine. You okay?" He asked in return.

"Yeah, they didn't touch me." She confirmed.

A few moments later Vern came to a screeching halt in a back alley when they thought they were far enough away and they all jumped out.

"You good, Vern?" April asked quickly.

Vern was bent over with his hands on his knees, breathing heavily, "Just another day in the life of a man of action. Me and the good ole Fenwick Express."

"You need to drive quickly and get to a police station and report this. I'm taking April to hide. I don't trust the police to keep her safe." Casey said.

"But where-" Vern began.

"Just go, Vern!" Casey shouted trying to scurry April away.

April ran to him and gave him a hug, "Thank you. I'll let you know that we're alright. You were great." She turned to follow Casey.

Vern hesitated for a moment, but he hopped in his van, "She's a complicated chick." Then he drove off.

Casey and April ran to the nearest hole in the ground. They weren't even sure if this would lead to the lair, but it was better than April being above ground. Casey jumped down through the hole and then he brought April down carefully. They tried to get their bearings on their location as they walked hastily through the tunnels. Soon things were looking familiar. Every so often they would spot one of Donnie's security cameras, so they knew they were getting close.

"You should probably call Raph so he doesn't have a panic attack." Casey commented as they walked, "It's been a while since we were on the way to your apartment."

"I would except my phone is in the van. Kind of didn't think of it in the middle of all that. Do you have yours?" She asked.

"Well, I did, but then it fell out of my pocket and got smashed." He said regretfully. "I doubt a ninja attack falls under my phone's insurance policy."

"I'm sorry, Casey." April replied.

"Better my phone than my head, Ape." He said as they reached the opening to the lair, "Ta da!"

"Oh, thank God!" April exclaimed as she went through the door, "Splinter! Splinter! Where are you?" She ran throughout the lair and she found him getting out of his chair to the sound of her voice.

"April, Casey, are you okay?" The master asked in concern.

"We were attacked and we both lost our phones and the turtles are at my apartment waiting for us to come back." April explained quickly.

"Go to Donatello's desk and use his computer. Hurry!" He said ushering them out of his room to Donnie's lab.

"They should have been back by now." Raph growled as he kept checking his phone.

"I know, man. I gotta bad feeling about this." Mikey chimed in while he nervously rubbed his knees raw as he sat on the edge of the sofa.

Then one of Donnie's gadgets that was strapped to him went off. He nearly jumped out of his seat. He fumbled as he tried to find which one was beeping. It was like an oversize pager that was connected to his personal computer in the lab. The screen was blinking '911.'

"Houston, we have a problem." Donnie said urgently.

"What is it?" Leo asked.

"I don't know exactly, but we need to get back to the lair now." Donnie finished as he hopped up from his seat.

Casey and April were in the kitchen at the table. She was sipping on tea and Casey was icing his bruises. Neither of them said much as they thought about the craziness of what just happened. April's adrenaline was still pumping so hard she was shaking.

"It's okay, April. You did really good. That was some serious ass kicking." Casey complimented, "Can tell who you've been hanging out with?" He chuckled.

"That was the most surreal experience I've ever had. I don't even know how I was able to get out of that seat to hit them." She thought aloud as she kept sipping her tea.

"It's called adrenaline, toots." He smirked, "Plus, you had some pretty good fighting lines."

April smiled, "I did, didn't I?"

Slowly, the footsteps of large beings were making the walls shake as they ran through the tunnel.

"They're baaack." Casey sang and the door flew open. They were in such a hurry they didn't notice Casey and April sitting at the table. They went straight for Donnie's computer.

Donnie began typing away, until they heard a throat clear. The group made their way back toward the kitchen and saw the two of them sitting at the table.

April could see the weight lift off Raph's shoulders when he saw her there in the kitchen. He went to her and grabbed her in a tight embrace bringing her out of the chair. She wrapped her arms around his neck. He took a deep breath of her hair, thanking God she was still here from him to do that. He kissed her head.

"I thought- I just knew you'd be-" He began but he couldn't even speak the words into existence.

"I know what you thought, but they didn't get me." She said quietly into his neck, "They didn't even touch me."

Raph stood her on her feet and he took her face in his hands as if he was examining her for extra bumps and bruises. When he was satisfied he hugged her back into his arms. The others sat down at the table. Raph sat down and cradled April in his lap.

"What the hell happened?" Leo asked as he looked at Casey.

"The Foot Clan attacked the van. We were at a stop light and they came after us." Casey explained, "They pried the door open and came in after April, but as you can see we handled it. And April made sure some dudes would be eating through a straw for a while."

All four colored turtles turned to look at her. April had a look of cockiness and satisfaction on her face.

"Dayum, Angelcakes! What'd you do?" Mikey asked excitedly.

"Let's just say, she's pretty handy with a crowbar." Casey laughed and then moaned in pain, "She kept me from getting thrown out the back of the van with the other assholes. Thanks, Ape."

"Thank you, Case." She responded.

"Thanks, Casey." Raph added and Casey gave him a knowing nod.

They continued to sit at the table as they regaled the story in full detail for the guys. Mikey cooked dinner for everybody and their nerves began to settle for the moment. It seemed like life up top just stopped mattering when they were all together below the surface. After dinner, everyone helped clean up the kitchen and Donnie was turning on the DVD player.

"I think you already know it's safer to stay down here for a while." Raph said as he dried the dishes she handed him.

"Yes, I know." She agreed and gave him the look. The look that said they had unfinished business they needed to take care of.

"I'm putting the movie in, guys!" Donnie alerted as he didn't like to wait on others to start.

"I think we're going to go ahead and lay down." April replied, "You know, long day and all."

Raph grinned as she took his hand and lead him away. Once they were in Raph's room, snuggled away from the others, everything became peaceful in their little world. She laid in his arms and he laid kiss after kiss on her like he hadn't seen her in months and she loved every second of it. And Raph would be lying if he said the thought of April beating up someone with a crowbar didn't turn him on. April's mind was reeling from everything, when she remembered a conversation that had been interrupted earlier.

"Didn't you have something you wanted to tell me earlier?" She asked as she pulled away to look at him.

Raph's nerves immediately came back to the surface and he felt himself clamming up and shutting down, "Er, I don't remember."

April gave him the 'that's bullshit' look, "Oh, really? Well, that's unfortunate."

He sighed audibly and wanted to punch his self. If April, little April could take on some ninja's with only Casey Jones at her side, why couldn't he say three little words. After all, he felt confident that her feelings were the same, "Ok, maybe I do remember something about something that I was possibly thinking." He grumbled and her face immediately brightened back up and that was his dose of courage, "I just wanted to say that I felt like there was a small possibility that I'm feeling strongly for you and our new relationship and it's been on my mind for a little, tiny while. Just something I've kind of tossed around in the back of my head-" His long train of words was interrupted by her soft lips on his and she smiled sweetly at him waiting, "I'm in love with you." He whispered.

"I'm in love with you, too." She replied.

"Yeah?" He smiled that same smile that he had in the bathroom.

"Yeah." April confirmed.

This is the final chapter of Raph and April: the Beginning. The next story will continue pretty much from this point, just with a new set of chapters. I'm thinking the next set will be a tad more explicit, since it will be further along in Raphril's relationship. Thanks for reading. Be on the look out for the next series!


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